Indiana licenses Mental Health Counselor Associates (LMHCA) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC). Graduates since July 1, 2014 must hold the associate license before their hours count. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Two NBCC exams in Indiana. The associate license (LMHCA) uses the NCE, the exam Counselor Ticket is written to. The full LMHC uses the NCMHCE, a case-study exam our guide does not cover.
Check with your board. Counselor Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), the American Counseling Association (ACA), CACREP or any state counseling board; NCE and NCMHCE are NBCC's marks, used here only to name the exams. Laws on confidentiality, duty to warn, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.
Indiana at a glance
License
Exam
What it takes
LMHCA (Mental Health Counselor Associate)
NCE
A master's or doctorate in mental health counseling meeting the board's coursework rules (Form C). $50.
LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
NCMHCE
3,000 post-graduate clinical hours over 21 to 48 months as an LMHCA, 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. $50.
Indiana, step by step
Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Professional Licensing Agency)
LMHCA: apply with the $50 fee, the coursework form (Form C) and official transcripts showing a master's or doctorate in mental health counseling. Students in their last semester can get exam approval with a letter of good standing. Take the NCE within one calendar year of the board's approval; when you pass, the associate license is issued.
Associate first: if you graduated after July 1, 2014, you must hold the LMHCA before post-graduate clinical hours count toward the LMHC.
Experience and supervision: at least 3,000 hours of post-graduate clinical experience over a two-year period of no less than 21 and no more than 48 months, with at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision from an LMHC or equivalent supervisor (such as an LCSW).
LMHC exam: the NCMHCE, within one calendar year of approval; then the LMHC is issued. The application fee is $50.
The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a counseling master's degree (usually 60 semester hours, often CACREP-accredited), your board's approval, an NBCC exam, about two years of supervised experience, then the full license. The NCE has 200 questions (160 scored) in 3 hours 45 minutes; the NCMHCE is 11 clinical case studies in the same time; either can be retaken after 30 days (NBCC/CCE candidate handbooks). The full walk-through: How to get your counseling license.